Methodi and aepakalwrs for making book matches



R. W. SMITH July 1,' 1930.

rmrnon mp APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOOK MATCHES Filed Oct. 2'7, 192 '4 Sheets-shet I ATTORNEYfi July 1, 1930. R. w. SMITH 1,769,080

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOOK MATCHES .Filed Oct. 2'7, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I g 4!, i 1 5 54 40 i n V 2 D D g 7 4/ 2 2/ 2&- li' 231% g cf g 4%.; Z3 4? fig/6 a 49 I INVEN R 4% E g m 45 g I 4/ I ATTORNEYS.

y 1930.: R. w. SMITH 1,769,080

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOOK MATCHES Filed 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 maEN R" I ATTORNEYS y 1930. R. w. SMITH 1,769,080

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOOK MATCHES Filed Oct. 27, 1926 Sheets-Sheet '4 Us wk m Q w :NVENTQR,

ATTORNEYS Patented July I, 1930 RUSSELL ,w.-.: sine-1n, orENEwAnK, 'Ew J-n-nsmr finrnmrionnmi irr'anhrns ron iraxiiie Boon iiiirdnns V ",npplieatibn mes" October 27, 1 92c. *seriai my 144,551;

This invention: rel atesato aflmethod and apparatlis for makingrhook matches, that is,

strips ef-i-matchesformedoi paper' vvliich are boundwegetheriin :hook form.v r g Amengthe objectsiof'the invention are to previde a methosdrand amapparatus whereby a-strip: or paper: oncardboard;is;s1rbj ectedat0 a plurality of. automatic operations in I immediate and automaticsuccessiomtoieach: other sol i aIS' tOE produce strips of? matches to be; subsequentlygbeun'd intofihock form; .the plain..strip of cardboard entering" thel apparatus at "one ppint' and the CQIILPIBiFQiStIiP of'matches -leaving the apparatussat another point without the intermediateintervention.:ofrahy manual:

eperation. Anotherr which: consists: in. successively; and antomatical-ly slitting" a" sheet toil? cardboard to? :formmatehfS'ticksmrstems, spreading the sticks "or stems, cutting".asstripicfi sticks For stemsifirom the:-sheet, =dipping"thez endstof-the sticks into parafim subsequentliy dipping the sticks into thezusnazl cemposirtinn atexform :the heads, sand:

drying thewheads. Aifiuntheraobjectis to pronidernevekand 1mprcvsed construction-rand: combination ei apparatusi"iiernaiitomatically performing; said liibonlanmshandling:andiconsegnently :atia low impnoviem .mnstmctieni andz nombination; of; cutting? devices and match. strip conveyors:

and strip holding devices to provide suchrape pwnatus' which be simples and; inexpensiverconstruction-v. and operation, and t0;tehtamiotherinesu ltsaandiadvantagesras'may hez'shrenghtjiionirhy the dcllorving description.-

stening: to the accompanying drawings, iii in. whichiseemzespdndingrandi l-ike- :parts. are:

designatedrthnougheutjthe several views by thwsame:rrefierenceicharacters;

V Fi-gnrei l' tie-side elevation of-apparatus emhedgingthednwentiomfnnmaking strips-otg 'bject' isto provide'sucha method one of the match strip ngrlpping clips;

Figure 2; is-a Stop plan-view thereof, pore tions being. omitted for clearn-essin illustratiQ l 1 'Figure v3 is an enlarged vertical: longi tudinal-rsectienal View, taken 0n"the line3-3 ofFign'reQ; I

Figure i is atop plan viewof the conveyor for receiving the match strips from theislitting andcuitting mechanism. asviewed from the line 4- 1: of Figure3; c v i A Figure, 5. is Ea transverse vertical" sectional View, takenon'the line 55 of Figurlei;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary. sec? tional side elevation of a portion of the con-f veyor shown in (Figure 3 and-:a portionot 'the e5. secondmconveyor, 1

Figure 7 isla transverse vertical sectional view-,taken on the 1ine77. of Figurerfi I Figure 8 is a detached perspective view-of FignreQ-isaview similartoliigureati-showing: another portion ofthe second: conveyor and its-relationto thereservoirfor'the ignite in composition, and 1 ignre lOis-avertieal' sectional vriew, ;ta-ken onthe line 10--'1O of" Figure; '2, showing the Geneva gear mechanism for feeding thecardboard'W-ith a step-bystep'motion.

Specifically describing the illustrated-ems bodiment of theinventiom-thereference chars0; acter A designates the sheet feeding, slitting and'cutting mechanism, B designatesthe conveyor for receiving the match. strips: from the mechanism A, G the second conveyor-for removing the match. strips from, the conveyor B and dipping the same into the inflammable liquid, for example':melt.ed pa raflin containedin-a reservoir D, and into the:semi-' fluid igniting; composition such as is: com-- monlyused for the heads ,0f --matches and contained in a reservoir a The; paper 01- cardboard- .from which the match stripsareto ibeitormed istaken from 3;:1011 F andifed. to the. mechanism A With- .a step by step mo tion, :saicLroll being; mounted-inbearings 1, on thejmain frame of the machine and thelsheet' oicardboard or paper passing upwardlyover a guide-plate2 and-downwardly in aasubs'ta-m tiallv vertical; plane into the; mechanism The sheet of paper or .c'a-rdbcmrd is "prefer The ram 8 is reciprocated by a pitrnan 10* from a drive shaft 11 in knownmanner, said drive shaft being driven by a belt and pulley 12 xfrom.any suitable source of power and being controlled by a clutch .13 of suitable construction. WVith this construction, it will be obvious that upon each reciprocation of z the ram 8,-thepunches 6 willenter the open ings 5 of the die 4 and punch a corresponding number ofholes 14' in the sheet-of paper .or

cardboard, as shown in Figures 8 and 5 of the.

drawings. Mounted on'a shaft 15 extending transversely of the frame 3 are a pair of:

toothed wheels '16 the teeth-of which are adaptedto enter the openings 14 of the corresponding row, as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, and said shaft is rotated with a step by step motioncoordinately with the reciprocation of the ram 8 so that the sheet of cardboarder paper is moved'forward one step upon: each movement of'the ram 8 to withdraw the unches 6. Any suitable mechat nism may" e utilized for so drivingthe shaft 1-5, but'p'referab'ly a Geneva gearing is utilized" comprising the usual plate 17 having a plurality of=radialnotches 18 with which cooperates with a pin 19 carried by a Wheel 20' mounted'on a countershaft 21 and driven by chain andsprocket gearing 22 from the drive shaft ll l It will be obvious that the shaft 15 will be rotated through an angle of 90 degrees uponeach complete revolution of the \vheel 2( ),*and the ratio of the gearing is such as to produce movementof the sheet of paper or cardboard the necessary distance; and this distance corresponds to the length of the match strip which it is desired to produce.

-"I he ra-m-8 carries a cutting die 25 which cooperates with a similar cutting die 26 mounted upon'the fra es, said dies being constructed to slit the sheet of cardboard or paper to form four groups, 27 of match sticks each comprising ten'sticks 28, and rectangular openings- 29separating the adjacent groups 27'. The dies 25 and 26 cooperate to slit'the sheet ofcardboard simultaneously with the punching operation of the punches- 6; After this slitting operation, that is upon the outward movement of the ram 8, the Geneva gearing is operated to move the cardboard throug'h another step whichin Figure ofthe drawings moves the 'slitted portion of the cardboard downwardly lone step-so" the end of the strip is close to the shearing or cutting blades to be later referred to.

The ram 8 also has projecting from its face below the die 25 a plurality of pins or fingers 30, and a plurality of alternately spaced pins or fingers 31 are arranged on the'frame 3 ofthe machine in approximately the same horizontal plane as: the pinsi30: The spacing of these pins corresponds to that of the match sticks 28, so that one of the pins 30 is substantially-opposite one'mat'ch stick while one of .the pins 31 is substantially, opposite the next adjacent match stick. "As the ram 8 is moved on itsnext -inwardistroke to slit the cardboard in anew place," the pins 30 move betweemthe, adjacent pinsz31: so. that portions of the lengthfof the match sticks 27 are forced into staggered relation :which causes their ends to spread, as shown in dotted lines Fig-1 ure 3,,ofthe drawings .when the ends arenext severed. Thus,uon e,series of-groups ofmatch sticks are. staggered. substantially Simulta-i neouslywith the slittingof the next succeed, ing series ofgroups ofmatch-sticksi- Below the pins 30,:the ram 8 has mounted thereon a cutting. blade 32'which cooperates with a similar blade 33on the frame 3, said;

bladesbeingso located as to-be substantially opposite thelower ends. of the. sticks 27 as abovedescribedu 'On-thenext movement of the Geneva gearing the cardboard strip is fed forward asfalready explained, until the strip is in the'positi-on ofthe full lines Fig. :3, thensubstantially simultaneously with thew stag.- geringof the sticks in the intermediate .position of thematch strips .by the pins 30 and 131, or. slightly subsequently..theretofthe knife blades 32 and 33:"seve'r the i cardboardi along the ends of the match sticks of the interme-.

diate group so that the saidxendsaresepae.

rated from. each: other, at a point spaced-from the other ends of the match sticksso that a match strip '34: consisting, offour groups of match sticks each composed ofzten sticks con-- nected at one end, is formed. It will be noted} that the last-mentioned cutting operation also'tra-nsforms the openings 29 into notches 35 which extendinwardly from the edge .of' the strip correspondingto the free; ends of? the match sticks to points adjacent the .opposite edge of 'the'strip, which edge constitutes the buttedge of the strip and is'used for bindinga plurality offthe strips into book.

form;

"Directly in spaced relation' thereto are mounted on the =frain'e3 a pair of spacedandparallelhori-u ond in :POSltiOIl.

zontal rods'40 which corres v to thetw'o outer notches 3 5 o the match strip, and duringthe last step'of movement of the sheet "ofcardboard the match'str'ip 34 moves downwardly and -the*notches35 -sl1p over the corresponding rods 40'." When theblades'32 and 33 sever the match str-i from the sheetof cardboard, the strip falls y gravity so that eneath the 3l'andion theiinner ends "ofthe notches. 35qfrietionally 7 bearnp'on the .rodsAefl. Two endless conveyor; chains 4-11 connectedbyspaced' transverse rod-s 42 'are: mounted. on sprockets 43 so that the.

. upper reaches; of the-chai-nsl move substantially parallel 'to the'rods :40 and each two adjacent. rods .42; receive between them .one of the match strips .34, as clearly shown in Fig.

ure:3 of'the drawings. These conveyor chains. may. beadriven in any suitable manner from.

the drive shaft .11, the speed: of movement of the chains being such that one match strip 64;. dropsbetween each two adjacent crossrods-42. As the conveyor chains move, the cross-rods 42 push the match strips 34: long1- tudinallyofithe rods 410. It will beobserved that .the match strips" are substantially vertical-1y. edgewise disposed on the rods 40 with the butt edgesprojectingupwardly from the conveyor and freely. exposed, the strips being held inthis vertical edgewise positionby gravity. l

The match strips 34 are automatically removed.v from therods by the conveyor O 5. for the dipping operations in the inflammable liquid and the igniting composition; and as illustrated, the conveyor G comprises two spaced-and parallel metal endless belts 50' mounted to move over the-respective pulleys 311'; 51 and-52 in a substantially horizontal plane,

one end of the belts 50 partially overlying the rods 40 with a portion of the lowerreaches of said belts 50 substantially parallel to said rods, as shown in Figures 1 and-:6, and the lower reaches of said belts '50 passing overidler rollers 53and 5 l, the latter of which are adjustable to-serve as belt tighteners; Mountedon the belts 50 extending transversely therebetween are-"a; plurality of equidist'antly spaced friction gripping devices 5 5* WhlOll as showninclude sheet metal-plates 56 having:

one edge disposed at" substantially right anglesas at '57, and riveted asat 58to the belts 50, said plates 56 having lnte'grally formed" therewithspring fingers 59 adapted to receive between themselves and the respectivegp'lates the butt ends of the match-strips. The gripping devices 55'are so spaced on the belts 50, and so related -'to the rods 40, and th'e, belts gripping'devices are movedby the belts '5'0 downwardly over the rollers 51, the spring fingers- 590f each'gripping device are forced downwardly over the butt edge offon'e match strip 34 so as to grip the butt end: thereof, as shown in Fig-ure' G of the drawings; 'The belts aredriven in the same direction as arethe chains-41, and after the match strips have been gripped by th8Lg'IlPplIlg 'd6V1 CBS' oo they-are-removed fromthe rods 40' andoarr1 ed by the belts'50; and gripping-devices w1th the free-"end's of thejmatchsti'cks-in depend ng position. The "belt-s 50 -may be;driven in" any suitable manner, but preferably by IDBfiDSfOf Bfi chainand sprocket gearingrfifl'from the shaft 'of' the two conveyors. 1B and G.

50am moved at such'speed,that--as the said 1-1, andithea chainsgd ln nray be. driyemby' ehaim andrs'po'cket; gearing .62 :fromzthe zoonveybrs bgi thearatioiof: saidrgeaning beingasuchias topmr duos-the proper relative speedsvof movement:

. The match strips 34: are conveye'd by: the

lower. reaches tof the ibelts r50zto the reservoir D containing the inflammable liquid, such as:1nelted1parafiin, which is :preterably dis posed directlyibeneath the; adjustable *idl'er 755 carried byzthe belts: 50 into. another room as" through. opening in a partition 66, and there dipped into the igniting composition contained in the reservoirE; This igniting vcomposition is in a semi liquid state, and to ensure substantially equal amounts of the composition being: applied to each ofthe match sticks, I may use belt 67 formedwof suitable material: such as rubber and movable over rollersi68 midi-69 that the upperwreach 7-0 is sub'stantially horizontal fandmormally parallelto the correspondingportions of the lower reaches of the belts" 50 and above the levelof thecomposition in the reservoir, the lowerreach ofithe belt passing through the composition shownxinwEigure 9 oif mg thedrawings. rheends of ithe ma tehfsticksi' areflippedlinto the nompositiOn several times: so as to ensure a securef adhesion of equ'al f amounts offthecomposition-tothe sticks, and

for-this purpose I *maymount upon thatop 1 of the reservoira pair of bars 7 1 .providedjintermediate their lengths with upstanding projections 7.2 over whichmust pas s proj'ection's on the :undersides of the belts "50". These projjections 7 3 1nay be the heads of the J rivets "which secure the grippingdevice to: the belts. The reaches of the belts 50 are of: course taut but somewhat flexible so; that as .the projections =73 assover the projections 7-2 the.reaches of thebelts50 aresucoessively 12o raised: and lowered with snapactions which cause: correspondingmovements of the en'ds of 'fthe match-sticks out of and 1 into the com- Y position carried by the upper reach o'f theg rubber belt -7 0',-as clearlysliownin F-igureh9 126 j i of the drawings. As indicated, the. matchsticks of 'eaoh ofthe strips-34' are dipped-into the composition three times, since there are at; least three.lnateh{strips}at a time" over the. reservoir andare alllifted' away fi'om the' belt was each set of projections 7 3, associated with'each' match strip,engages the projections 72 on bars 71, and afterhaving been:

dipped. are conveyed away from: the reser- -voir E with certain portions of the compositionadhering to the ends of the sticks.

The extent of the dippingmovement of the matchhstick's into the composition 'may of course be determined-by the movement of the reaches of the belts 50;toward and from the; belt?70,"-it being obvious that the match stickscannot be dipped into the composition a greater distance than the thickness of the composition up on the belt 70.

after they leavethe reservoir E-may be as desired, the atmosphere through'which they are moved being'a dry atmosphere for dry-i. ing the (igniting composition picked up bythematch sticks from the reservoir E.

..The match strips34: maybe removed from the conveyor C at any'suitable point, but as s illustrated the strips are carried-by the belts backto their starting point andthere removed by arms 74 which are arranged eccentric to the rollers 50 and enter recesses 75sin'the plates 56;,of the corresponding devices under the .buttcdgesof the match.

strips, as clearly shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, so that the match strips are pushed from the respectivegripping devices by the arms 74:flndfall: by gravity. A; conveyor belt 7 6 may be, arranged beneath the arms 74 to receivethe match strips as. they fall and convey them to any suitable point for subsequent operations. v

From the foregoing,.it will be observed that complete match strips may be formed from a strip of cardboard in a continuous process and without any manual interventionbetween the first-1 operation upon thecardboardand the removal of the complete purpose of illustrating the principles ofthe.

Invention and a that. many modifications and changes may be made in the details of con-- struction of the apparatus and in the-carry-: ing but of the 7 method without departingfrom the spirit or scope of theinvention.

Therefore, I do not desire to be understood.

as. limiting myselfexcept as required by the following claims when construedin the light oithe prior art, 1 Y

- Having thus described the invention, what Iclaim' is: i r j f I 1, The method-of makingstrips of matches :from'paperor cardboard consisting in feed- The; distance of travel of the matchstrips ing a sheetofpaper or cardboardfrom a roll' withastep-by-step motion, slitting a portion of said sheet of paper or cardboard upon each step of movement to form match sticks,

spreading said sticks into staggered relation upon the next step of movement of said sheet and initially cutting off a-portion of said sheet at the outer en'ds of said sticks to separate the same in spaced relation, cutting said sheet in spaced relation tothe innerendsofsaid sticks to form a strip ofsticks u on the next step of inovement of saidlsheet, eposita ing-said strip uponaconveyor in predeter-r mined .edgewise position, automatically transferringsaid strips to another conveyor.

7 into an igniting composition to form heads,

dryinglsaidheads, and removlngsald SbllP,

from said conveyor.

i 2. The method of making strips of matches from paper or cardboard consisting in unrollingpredetermined amounts of cardboard or paper from a rollwith a step-by-step motion, presenting a; portion of said cardboard to a cutter; 'for slitting said'cardboard to form match sticks upon-one step of movement, presentingsaid portion to fingers for spreading said sticks into staggered relation uponvthe nextf'sequential step of movement, presenting said portion of cardboard to a cutter upon thenext step of movement for cutting said cardboard on a line spaced fromthe open end of said sticks to form a match strip and to separate the match sticks of the next following match strip, depositingsaid strip in edgewiseposition upon a conveyor, automatically transferring saidmatchstrip to another conveyor in "said edgewise position, and moving said strip with the free ends of said match sticks in depending position sequentially rel-v ativelylto-a quantity of melted paraflin and a sentingsaid portion to fingers for spreading said sticks into staggered relation upon the next sequential step "of V movement, presenting said portion of cardboard to a cutter uponthe-nextfstep of movement for cutting said cardboard on a line spaced from the open 1 end of said sticks to form a match strip and to separate thematch sticks of the next following matchstrip, depositing said strip in edgewise position upon a conveyor, automatlcally transferr ng said match strip to another conveyor in" said edgewise position, moving said strip with the free ends ofsaid match sticks in depending position sequentially relatively to a quantity of melted par-1 afin and a quantity of head forming composition, so that the free ends of said sticks I are dipped into said paraflin and said composition, and subsequently moving said strip by said conveyor through a drying atmosphere. i

4. The method of handling a plurality of strips of match sticks having notches extending from the edge of the strip corresponding to the free ends of said match sticks toward and adjacent the opposite or butt edge, consisting in suspending said strips by gravity from said notches upona conveyor in predetermined spaced relation so that the strips are in edgewise position With said butt edges projecting upwardly from said conveyor and exposed,aautomatically transferring said strips to another conveyor by gripping said butt edges of said strips, and conveying said strips s0 held by said butt edges.

5. Apparatus for making strips of matches from paper or cardboard, comprising means for feeding With a step-by-step motion a sheet of paper or cardboard in sub stantially a vertical plane, means for slitting v saidsheet upon each step of movement to form a plurality'of match sticks, means for spreading said sticks xinto staggered relation upon the next step of movement of said sheet, means for cutting said sheet along one end of said sticks substantially simultaneously With said spreading operation toseparate said ends, and to form from a preceding operation a strip of match sticks, all of said slitting, spreading and cutting means being movable in horizontal planes transverse to the movement of said sheet and said strip being discharged by gravity from the lastmentioned cutting means in vertical edgeWise position, and means for receiving said strip as it is so discharged and movingit horizontally in said position.

RUSSELL W. SMITH. 

